In a time where women didn't stand for much, Hester Prynne stood up for her right to be a woman, to be human, to be strong. She followed her heart and therefore dealt with the consequences that soon followed. She raised her child in the same town that shunned her and was a woman of pride and inner beauty. Not long after this story was published, did women start rebelling against their so-called "position" in society. Hester would have been very proud. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an amazing story of Hester's strength in exposing and accepting her sin, choosing to wear bold apparel, and helping Dimmesdale deal with his inner conflict. She is truly a model for advocates of the early women's right movement.

Although the scarlet letter burned a hole to her heart, Hester wears it and never denies it, which shows a true strength from within. When she was subjected to standing on the scaffold she held her baby tight as people looked her up and down with disgust (Hawthorne 52). Even though the "A" presented such problems for her, she didn't remove it and stood her sentence out despite how embarrassing it must have been. The first thing her darling Pearl not

iced when she was born was the scarlet letter on her mother's chest. She reached up to touch it, and the letter became part of Hester, not only her physical being, but her mental being also (88). Pearl didn't actually know that the "A" represented Hester's sin of adultery, but instead she bonded with the object. And still Hester leaves it be, and allows it to thread its way through her life and the life of her child. Hester is made fun of and stared at with disgust, but still maintains the will power to look away and continue on with her life. Her daughter is also forced to suffer because of her decision. Not only do the elders of the community look down upon Hester and Pearl, so do the children. They have learned from their parents that Hester is a bad woman and that her daughter has also sprung from evil's web. "'Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!'" (94) yelled one of the children. This is extremely painful and very difficult for her to handle but she is a strong, stable woman who will not fall so easily. She decides to remain in Boston because it is the town where she committed her sin and if she faces each day the guilt she is burdened with, then somehow, she hopes her soul will be purged (74). Not only do the townspeople associate the "A" with Hester, most don't see beyond that cursed letter. Even the daughter she treasures more than anything considers the scarlet letter her second mother, if not her first. "'Mother..., I see you here. Look! Look!'" Pearl remarked as she looked into the armor at Governor Bellingham's estate. The "A" was deformed and transformed into an unusually enormous letter (97). This had to be devastating for Hester whose only prized possession was her precious daughter who felt a sort of attachment to the "A". It takes true strength to accept what society has placed upon her and to make the best of it. Supporters of the women's rights movement would be impressed with the will power Hester has maintained to carry her scar and prevail forth in the town that has denied her.

can't reveal that he is the other significant party in Hester's sin. He is the father of Pearl, but is also a reverend. He can't expose himself and feels that his punishment is far worse than Hester's because guilt is much more severe than suffering before the public (132). Chillingworth, Hester's husband, has d

Some topics in this essay:
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